Royals and Rebels 2: Love and War

Twenty-five: Penelope Peters

Chapter Twenty-five

Penelope Peters

Christmas in my house usually meant two things. For Peters women, it meant Chinese food. And watching Bridget Jones’s Diary on repeat then opening presents the next morning. It was a low-key affair, but after everything that had happened that fall I was alright with that. I felt like myself again.

For New Years, I’d decided that I was going to Owain with Seamus to watch his private gig. We weren’t together, but I was glad that we were friends again. He had been part of my life for such a long time that I didn’t like the idea of him not being part of my life. He was a little too okay with everything. As if the knowledge that I’d been with Prince Cadoc had scared him off wanting anything to do with me. He was polite towards me. The easy, joking manner which we’d had before now gone.

But either way, I found myself crammed into his van with me and my cousin Annie.

“I’m so glad you two made up,” Annie said as we got into the van, “I felt awful when you broke up last summer. I tried calling you so many times to explain, but I didn’t know how, and I didn’t want me Dad to find out. Now you’re back together and everything is fine.”

Annie Peters was my Uncle’s daughter. She lived not far from us, and Uncle Scott was the football coach at our local high school. She was tall, with red hair, and gorgeous.

Seamus laughed. “We made up, but we’re not back together. With good reason.”

“Seamus,” I groaned.

“Oh, come on!” Seamus said. “She’s your cousin. It’s also too good a story to not tell. If I were you, I’d be telling everyone.”

“It’s not a big deal,” I insisted, “and it’s never happening again, because I didn’t go to Hollow Hills for that. I’m at Hollow Hills so that I can get a good education, and it’s clear that he is not worth the trouble.”

“Oooh!” Annie exclaimed. “Who is not worth the trouble?”

“No one,” I lied.

“Come off it, Pen. You broke up with me because of the guy. The least you can do allow me tell Annie.”

I sighed. “Fine, fine.”

Annie looked at Seamus. “What happened?”

“She slept with f*****g Prince Cadoc,” said Seamus. “That was why she broke up with me last summer, because the two of them had a one-night stand. Then, he saw her at school, and he tried seducing her again which is why our dear Pen got suspended! Because she and the Prince were half bloody naked, in the astronomy tower.”

“Oh my god!” Annie exclaimed. “You’re banging the bloody Prince?”

I groaned. “We’re not banging. We slept together, once, and it doesn’t matter anyway because he was using me. I’m a scholarship girl. I’m not good enough for him.”

“But did he pursue you?” Annie asked.

I blushed. “Yes. But I told him no. He doesn’t seem to understand that concept.”

“Sweetie, he’s in love with you.”

“He is not.” I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m never speaking to him again. I can’t afford to screw this opportunity up, and he makes me do stupid things.”

“Why not?” Seamus asked. “You’re sixteen. You can have fun. It’s not like he’s asking you to be his Queen.”

I winced. “He got a tattoo for me.”

“He got a tattoo for you?” Annie laughed. “Christ Pen, he must be in love with you. You can’t leave him hanging like that. He’s the Prince. You have to do your duty.”

“Exactly,” said Seamus with a grin, “lay back and think of Wales!”

“I hate you both,” I muttered, “I’m never telling any of you anything ever again. Besides, you should be telling me to stay away from him. I mean, we all know that being royalty isn’t all fairy tales. Apollo and Rose had to flee their home country because of a revolution. You’ve seen the news. We could end up like Versailles for all I know.”

“That’s romantic,” Annie gushed with stars in her eyes.”

“That’s not romantic,” I said, “that’s dangerous.”

“I still say you should go for it,” said Seamus, “you’re a writer! This is the kind of experience most people would kill for. Embrace life. At least you’ll have a story to tell at the end of the day.”

“Exactly,” said Annie, “you think too much Pen. If anyone deserves to have fun, it’s you!”

“I’ve had fun!” I said. “I dated his Captain of the Guard.”

The two of them howled with laughter.

“Christ, you’ve turned f*****g posh!” Seamus exclaimed.

“I have not! You don’t know what it’s like. You kind of get swept up in their world, and it’s impossible to say no.”

“You’re posh,” Annie insisted.

“Piss off,” I huffed, “both of you.”

We laughed and talked the entire drive to Owain. It felt good being back with my friends. Hollow Hills was a world away from Hay-on-wye and my friends. We got to the club, and we helped Seamus carry in some of his equipment.

His set was him and his guitar. But he needed his amplifier and a few other things. The club had been decorated with classic film shots on the walls. People were dressed up like old Hollywood stars.

“Alright,” said Seamus from backstage, “I go on in fifteen. I’m on for an hour, and then they go to a DJ. Just hang out. Have fun. Don’t get into trouble.” He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a tight, fierce hug.

When I pulled away from him, I found my lips on his, and he was kissing me back. It was the two of us, wrapped up in each other, the way that we used to be. I pulled away, blushing, and then----

Crack!

Seamus stumbled backwards falling to the floor. “What the hell?” I exclaimed. I turned around, just in time to see a tall, blond guy lunge at Seamus. There was a scuffle, and then I saw a flash of red hair.

“Cadoc!” a familiar voice called.

“Christ, what happened?” another voice said. One that I recognized as Gwyneth. The pretty brunette came running over, then she glanced up, and smiled. The smile lasted only for a second as she realized who she was looking at.

“Oh my god!” she exclaimed. “Pen?”

“Gwyneth?” I said. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s Cadocs birthday,” she said, “did he call you?”

I shook my head. “No, I’m here with Seamus.”

“Seamus?” she asked.

I gestured to where Seamus was still in the middle of a scuffle with a stranger.  I slapped my forehead, realizing who he was fighting. “Oh my god! I exclaimed. “Cadoc, get off him.”

Eddie was pulling Cadoc off Seamus, and he stood up, his nose bloodied.

“You kissed him!” Cadoc exclaimed.

“Of course, I did. Last time I checked my hand, there was no ring on it. I’m not engaged to you Cadoc. I’m not married to you. We’re not even dating. You had s*x with me for fun.”

“I did not!” Cadoc said. “I had no idea that you were the girl from last summer! I onlyound out about it. The same way that you found out that I am the guy that you lost your virginity to.”

I blushed. “How…how….”

“I know things,” Cadoc snarled, “Eddie was there with me at Hay-on-wye. He put two and two together. Gwyneth also confirmed the virginity thing because you told her at one of the parties.”

“Gwyneth!” I turned to her. “That was told in confidence!”

“Hey, when it turns out that it’s Cadoc, confidence goes out the window!” Gwyneth smiled.

Cadoc’s nose was bleeding, and he was panting. He looked at Seamus, then at me. “Real nice birthday present. The girl I love kissing some club singer.”

“Birthday?” I said.

“Christ woman,” said Eddie Spencer, glaring at me, “you’re a plague!”

I sighed. “I didn’t do anything! He’s the one punching people.”

Seamus was on the floor, bleeding, and Annie was pulling him away. I grabbed Cadoc by the hand and I pulled him over to one of the couches. “Stay here,” I said, “I’ll be right back.” I went to the bar.

“Can I get a rag and some ice?” I asked.

The bartender nodded and got me both. I walked over to the couch, sitting down next to him, and handing him the ice with the rag. He looked at me, a moody expression on his face. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here with Seamus,” I said.

“The ex-boyfriend?” he scowled.

“The ex-boyfriend,” I said, and I sat down next him. “I broke up with him after I was with you.”

“But you didn’t remember me?”

“I was drunk,” I said, “I was drunk. You were drunk. I got hurt because of him.”

“The ex-boyfriend?” he repeated. “Why are you here with him now?”

“Because there was a mistake, and now we’ve made up. I thought that he was in love with my cousin. He’s not in love with my cousin. Now----”

“You’re going to go off, and live happily ever after with the troubadour?”

“He’s not a troubadour,” I said, “and no one said anything about us living happily ever after. This jealousy thing, you’ve got to stop it. I know you are used to getting what it is that you want but I’m not a car, Cadoc. You can’t just up the price or punch your way out of everything because you didn’t get what you wanted. I’m not a birthday present, you know.”

“You owe me a kiss,” he said.

I raised an eyebrow. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I’m not.”

“You want a kiss?” I said.

“I do,” he said.

Blood was bleeding down his nose, even as he had a rag and ice pressed up against it. “Command me,” I said.

“What?” he looked incredulous.

“You’ve made it clear that you don’t see me as anything other than your subject. Fine. If you want a subject, instead of a friend, or a girlfriend, command me to kiss you.  Because that is the only way that you are getting a kiss from me. Birthday or no birthday.”

He was staring at me, his mouth opened, and he leaned closer to me. I pulled away.

“You’ve got to be kidding!” I demanded.

“All I can think about when I see you is your lips on me. Your skin on me,” his eyes were glazed over, and I was almost positive he was drunk. “I was your first, Penelope. I intend to be your last.”

“Well, you’re going to have to force me because that’s the only way I’m going to be with you ever again. I’m not yours, Cadoc. I’m my own person and I can kiss who I want to kiss whether you like it or not. The only one who has to worry about whether or not I like that is me. No one else.”

“You’re mine, Pen,” said Cadoc, “not right now, but one way or another, you are going to be mine.”

I stood up. “I choose what I do, your majesty. In this case, I am choosing not to kiss you. Now or ever again. Because you do not own me.”

“Penelope,” he breathed, “please don’t do this.”

“I’m not going to put my life on hold just because you get jealous, Cadoc. We’re not even dating. We can’t date because---”

“Because why?” he demanded. “I care about you; you care about me. It doesn’t have to get much more complicated than that.”

“Because you feel entitled to punch anyone I kiss. Because you can force anyone, I’m interested in to break up with me just because you feel like it or send them away. Because you will always have the upper hand.”

“You are the only one that controls your heart,” said Cadoc, “I have no upper hand.”

“And you control me,” I said, “which is why I can’t be with you. Not now. Not yet. Maybe not ever.” I looked over at the stage, where Seamus was nursing his own black eye and bloody nose with Annie.

I started to walk away.

“Pen!” he shouted.

I froze. “Don’t do it,” I whispered to myself, knowing he wouldn’t hear it and that there was no stopping him.

“I command you to kiss me!” he ordered.

Slowly, I turned around. Cadoc was standing now. I walked towards him, stood on tip toe, and kissed him. He kissed me back, wrapping his arms around me, running his hands through my hair. He groaned into my mouth.

“That’s why we can’t be together,” I whispered.

I walked away from him, ignoring his calls as I exited the club. I walked back to campus, alone, determined to never have to deal with Prince Cadoc of Wales ever again.